Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to online and/or mobile payments and more particularly to a multi-identifier user profiling systems that may be used with online and/or mobile payment systems.
Related Art
More and more consumers are purchasing items and services over electronic networks such as, for example, the Internet. Consumers routinely purchase products and services from merchants and individuals alike. The transactions may take place directly between a conventional or on-line merchant or retailer and the consumer, and payment is typically made by entering credit card or other financial information. Transactions may also take place with the aid of an on-line or mobile payment service provider such as, for example, PayPal, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. Such payment service providers can make transactions easier and safer for the parties involved. Purchasing with the assistance of a payment service provider from the convenience of virtually anywhere using a mobile device is one main reason why on-line and mobile purchases are growing very quickly.
It is sometimes desirable in conventional online systems to profile users of the online system in order to, for example, group users based on characteristics of those users such that groups of users may be targeted with regard to advertising and/or offers. For example, a payment account provider or payment service provider may profile a user based on purchases made by that user using a payment account or payment service, and then may target that user or a groups of users with advertising and/or offers based on that user or group of users making purchases that are associated with the advertising and/or offers. In another example, a website provider may target a user by providing a “cookie” on a user's browser application when the user visits the website provider's website, and that cookie operates to track the users actions associated with the web browser and reports user activity back to the website provider when the user revisits the website provider's website. Such activity may also be used to target the user with advertising and/or offers.
Such conventional user profiling results in the creation of discrete user profiles (e.g., a first user profile associated with purchasing activities, a second user profile associated with web browsing activities) that may actually be associated with the same user, but that are treated as separate user profiles. Furthermore, with regard to profiles created via cookies provided on web browser applications, some web browser applications (e.g., mobile device web browser applications) operate to block cookies, or otherwise prevent linking (e.g., “calls”) between a website the user is visiting and a website of a website provider that wishes to be informed on the activities of that user. Such blocking prevents website providers from determining activity of users on any website but their own, prevents website providers from targeting users on other websites based on user profiles they've created, and prevents accurate user activity records from being compiled (e.g., by preventing a website provider from determining how many times an advertisement has been provided to a user on other websites.)
Thus, there is a need for improved user profiling systems and methods.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.